Automatic railway-switch



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J. L. MORRIS 8v J. P. NAOE.

I AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH- No. 470,696. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

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J. L. MORRIS & J. P. NAOE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 470,696 Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

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v AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 470,696. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

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JOSEPH L. MORRIS AND JOHN P. NAOE, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,696, dated March 15, 1892.

Application filed August 15, 1891. Serial No. 402,748. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH L. MORRIS and JOHN P. NAOE, of Lawrence, Douglas county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to the construction and operation of the switches of steam and other traction railways; and the objects of our invention are to provide an automatic switch mechanism which shall be simple, strong, and durable in construction and which shall be operated automatically by passing trains without requiring the attention or assistance of switchmen, and which shall also reliably and automatically indicate the position in which the switches are thrown.

To the above purposes our invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of an automatic railway -switch mechanism embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the same onthe line 4 t of Fig. 2, a locomotive-pilot being shown in the figure as provided with an. attachment for throwing the switch-levers. Fig. 5 is a plan view of our improved automatic railway-switch mechanism, showing a car or truck provided with our improved attachments for operating said mechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the tracks of the main line, and 2 the tracks of a branch line, siding, spur, or other similar track connection leading from said main line, these rails being supported in any suitable or preferred manner upon ties or sleepers 3, which may be of any suitable or preferred form and material.

at designates the movable switch-rails, and

5 a frog located at the junction of one mainline rail and the corresponding branch, siding, or spur rail in customary manner, and which frog is of the usual or any preferred type.

6 designates a rod or shaft which is retained by bearings 7 in position upon the ends of the ties 3, and which is of such length as to extend parallel with the outer switch-raila and the corresponding main-line rail 1 for a considerable distance each way from the point of junction of the switch-rail with the mainline rail, as shown. At this point of junction the said rod or shaft is formed or provided with a crank-section 8, to which is connected the outer end of a link 9, the inner end of said link being connected by a staple 10 or equivalent means with the outer part of atie 11 or other cross-piece, which connects the free ends of the movable rails 4, and which carries the free ends of the switch-rails 4, and which is movable transversely of the main line.

It is to be understood that, if desired, a cam or eccentric can be substituted for the described crank-section 8, such cam or eccentric occupying a similar position upon the shaft 6 as does the crank-section and being connected to the movable rails 4 in similar manner to said crank-section. The opposite end of the movable tie or cross-piece 11 is connected by a link 12 with a crank-arm 14. on the lower end of a switch-standard 13, said standard being mounted suitably in a suitable stand 15 and carrying at its upper'part a suitable target 16 and arrow 17.

- Adjacent to its crank-section 8 the rod or shaft 6 is provided with an arm 18, which carries a counter-weight 19, for a purpose to be presently explained. At a point some considerable distance from the point of juncture of the movable rails 4 with the main and branch rails are located two rock-shafts 20 and out their free ends passing each other. At its outer end the rook-shaft 20 carries a beveled gear-wheel 24, which meshes with a beveled gear-wheel 25, carried by the rod or shaft 6, and at its outer end the rock-shaft 21 carries a beveled gear-wheel 26, which meshes with a beveled gear-wheel'27, also carried by the said rod or shaft 6. The rock-shaft 20 also carries a rock-arm 28, which is located adjacent to the outer side of the inner switchrail 4, while the rock-shaft 21 carries two rock-arms 29 and 30. The rock-arm 29 is carried by the inner end of the said rockshaft, and thus is adjacent to the outer side of the inner switch-rail 4, while the rock-arm 30 is mounted upon the outer end of the shaft and is located between the outer side of the outer switch-rail 4 and the beveled gear-wheel 26. (It is to be observed that the words inner and outer as here used relate to the position of the switch and main -line rails relative to the branch rails 2, the rails which are adjacent to the branch rails being termed the inner rails, and the rails which are remote from said branch rail being termed the outer rails.)

The opposite end of the rod or shaft 6 from that which carries the gear-Wheel 25 carries a beveled gear-wheel 31, which meshes with a beveled gear-wheel 32, mounted upon the outer end of a rock-shaft This rock-shaft 33 extends transversely of the main line and is journaled in bearings 34, which are located adjacent to the outer sides of the inner and outer main-line rails 1, as shown. This rockshaft 33 carries a rock-arm 35, which is interposed between the outer side of the outer rail 1 and the beveled pinion 32, and the said shaft carries, also, at its inner end a rock-arm 36, which lies adjacent to the outer side of the inner bearing 34. At a point between the inner main-line rail 1 and the outer branch rail 2 the rock-shaft 33 carries a gear-wheel 37,which meshes with a gear-Wheel 38, mounted upon a second rock-shaft 39. journaled in the inner bearing 34 and also in additional bearings located as shown in Fig. 1, which also support the rock-shaft 33, before described. The outer end of this rock-shaft 39 carries a rock-arm 41, which lies adjacent to a bearing 42 for said shaft, the said bearing being located adjacent to the outer side of the outer branch rail 2, while the inner end of said rock-shaft 39. carries a rock-arm 43, which lies between the outer main-line rail 1 and the adjacent branch rail 2.

From the above description it will be seen that the rock-shafts are arranged in pairs at opposite points from the junction of the switch-rails 4 with the main-line rails 1 or branch rails 2 and that each rock-shaft of each pair moves oppositely from its companion rock-shaft. Hence there are always two sets of rock-arms in position to be engaged by passing trains moving in either direction, and also that a train moving upon the branch line either toward or away from the main line will This rock-sh aft 39 is always engage one of the rock-arms. In order to insure this engagement of the rock-arms 28, 29, 35, 36, 41, and 43 by trains moving in opposite directions, the upper ends of these rockarms are curved laterally, and said levers are so placed that the curved ends of the levers which are engaged by a train moving automatically and thenreset the switch so as to open the main line, the positions of the switch being also indicated automatically by the target and arrow of the switch-stand.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a locomotive-pilot 44, provided at one side with a horizontal laterally-extending arm 45, carrying a sleeve or roller 46 and adapted to engage the rock-arms which operate the switch, the said roller or sleeve 46 serving to prevent injury to the arm 45 or to the rock-arms by violent contact of such parts. It is to be understood, however, that this arm 45 and its roller 46 may be placed upon any part of the locomotive or upon any part of the car or other vehicle traveling upon the tracks. It will be seen that as the shaft 6 is rotated the Weighted arm 18 locks the crank-section 8 at one or the other of its deadcenters, and thus renders any accidental shifting of the movable rails4entirely impossible.

If found necessary, (for instance, when a train not provided with our improved switchoperating attachments is passing over the tracks,) the weighted arm 18 may be operated by an attendant to throw the switch, or the switch may be thrown by a lever at the switchstand 15 in customary manner.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 we have shown a car or truck or other suitable vehicle provided with certain attachments which may be used to operate the switch mechanism above described but which form no tion.

From the above description it will be seen that we have produced a simple, strong, and durable switch mechanism which is entirely automatic in its action and which enables the trains to throw and reset the switches without assistance, and which also reliably indicates the positions of the switches.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved automatic switch mechanism comprising an elongated counterbalanced rock-shaft extending longitudinally in oppositedirections from the point of junction of the switch-rails with the main line and branch part of ourpresent invenrails and carrying a pair of beveled gears at a point remote from the junction in one direction and also carrying a third beveled gear at an opposite remote point from the junction and eccentrically connected to the switchrails, a pair of rock-shafts carrying each a beveled gear to engage one of the pair of beveled gears of the main rock-shaft, rock-arms carried by said rock-shafts, and a third rockshaft located at a point oppositely remote from the junction and opposite relatively to the point of location of the pair of rock-shafts and carrying a rock-arm and also a beveled gear meshing with the third beveled gear of the main rock-sh aft, substantially as set forth.

2. An improved automatic switch mechanism comprising an elongated main rock-shaft provided with a crank-section and with a pair of beveled gear-wheels located remotely in one direction from the point of junction of the main and branch rails and provided, also, with j a third beveled gear-wheel located, also, remote from said point of junction and opposite relati vely to the location of the pair of gear-wheels, a switch-stand having a target and arrow, a pair of connected movable switch-rails connected to said switch-stand and eccentrically connected to the main rock-shaft, auxiliary rock-shafts carrying rockarms, and gearwheels engaging the gearywheels of the main rock-shaft, the said main rock-shaft extending longitudinally in opposite directions from the point of junction of the switch-rails with the main and branch rails, said auxiliary rockshafts being located in pairs at oppositelyremote points from the said junction, substantially as set forth. a

3. An improved automatic'switch mechanism comprising a main line, a branch line communicating therewith, and switch -rails operating in conjunction with said main and branch lines, a main rock-shaft extending longitudinally of the main line and carrying a beveled gear-pinion, a pair of auxiliary rockshafts having rock-arms and located transversely of the main line and the branch line, a beveled gear-wheel mounted upon the outer end of one of said auxiliary rock-shafts and meshing with the beveled gear of the main rock-shaft, and a pair of intermeshing gearwheels mounted upon the inner ends of the auxiliary rock -shafts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH L. MORRIS. JOHN P. NACE. Witnesses:

MURDO MURRAY, FRANK M. ARTHUR. 

